The Soldier's Ballerina
by PrettyLittleMasochist
Summary: "Suffer for me." he growled and without hesitation she did. "Bleed for me." he cooed and she bled herself dry. "Kill for me." he whispered and she filled a graveyard. "Jump." he commanded and she did, she leapt from the top, a steady career, the life she'd built and the friend's she'd made all because one man demanded she fall from grace. WeskerXO.C.
1. Introduction

_**Title-**_ _The Soldier's Ballerina_

 _ **Summary-**_ " _Suffer for me." he growled and without hesitation she did. "Bleed for me." he cooed and she bled herself dry. "Kill for me." he whispered and she filled a graveyard. "Jump." he commanded and she did, she leapt from the top, a steady career, the life she'd built and the friend's she'd made all because one man demanded she fall from grace._

 _ **Rating-**_ _M_

 _ **Fandom-**_ _R.E._

 _ **Pairing-**_ _Albert Wesker and Gwendolyn Montgomery (My OC)_

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _This is my first Resident Evil fic but I have been meaning to write one for awhile. the story takes place in an AU where Chris and Sheva were able to detain Wesker at the end of 5 rather than killing him. Please let me know what you think._

 _ **December 24th 2009**_

"Tell me, little tin soldier…" Wesker's voice was gravel laced in perfect velvet "Does it hurt?" Through her blurring vision, Gwendolyn could see a sickly smile slither across his ivory lips. A small gasp slipped from her cracked lips as a sharp pain surged through her chest.

All around her, the world was burning to the ground. Bright flames danced toward a sky that was full of black smoke. Albert knelt down beside her quivering body as a car alarms sounded and sirens screamed. His thumb, clad in black leather pulled at her lower lip "For what it's worth, I have to admit...I will miss your companionship."

A hot tear slipped down her cheek as her hazel eyes stared up at her reflection in his onyx colored sunglasses. In her reflections eyes, she could see that she'd fallen far. She'd lost everything. Gwendolyn Montgomery who had once held her baring, who stood tall in the face of the most dangerous man in the world, now she laid there beneath him...trembling...too weak to cry out for help.

This man was an enigma. In all of his arrogance Gwendolyn managed to find grace, strength and endurance. Every move he made was a dance, something beautiful and wild to behold. A man who held so much presence was not what he seemed. Albert Wesker was so much more.

Ivory lips crushed hers as a forceful hand held her head in place. His fingers slipped away and her limbs went numb. The heavy smoke burned her eyes as he turned his back and began walking away. "No…" she whimpered as blood spilled from her lips.

She'd betrayed her friends. All she ever knew was no more. Gwendolyn was a shell and her voice that had always been so powerful was trapped deep inside her burning throat. He was everything, the trickster, the reason, _the ballerina_.


	2. Ignition

**Author's Note-** I hope everyone enjoys the fic.

 **Sarah Victoria Cullen:** You are so wonderful and I am lucky to have you as my beta-reader.

 **Guest: Cat lover:** Thank you for being the first to read this fic and also the first to review.

 **Sydney Jane Dale:** An interesting thought.

 **Andrea:** Thank you for your review and putting faith in Gwen as a character as to say she could kick Wesker's ass :)

* * *

 **Chapter One- Ignition**

 **San Francisco bay, 6:07 AM, October 4th 2009**

"Water." the word was small as it slipped from her mouth. "It's always water." her first steps were slow. The voice in her head forever reminding her that she never learned to swim. In childhood her father had put her through a great many exercises but swimming never quite took.

The water logged boards of a long seemingly unstable dock creaked beneath a pair of small feet as their owner made her way toward a boat waiting for her at the end. Bitter wind caught in her chin length brown hair as she chewed her lower lip nervously. The twenty-three year old drew her thin arms around herself, fingers clinging to her briefcase as she made an attempt to focus on the face of the man sitting in the boat.

"C'mon-girl, we-haven't-got'all-day! Ya-want'to-beat-tourists." the man called, his voice was gruff and he spoke so fast most people would not have understood a word he said.

However, Gwendolyn spent a great deal of her life listening to people belt out paragraphs in mere minutes and she'd always had a knack for catching every word. "Yes, of course!" the dock quaked as she picked up the pace. She didn't like the bay, but she wasn't going to let some phobia rooted years in the past keep her from doing her job.

"Atta' girl." the man mused.

By the time Gwen made her way to the end of the doc, her stomach had twisted up into a series of intricate knots and her heart beat was erratic. "You-must-be-Gwendolyn-Montgomery."

"Yes." She breathed sharply as she eyed the gap between the side of the boat and the dock where she stood. "You must be Agent Michael Grears, I was told you would be my escort." she drew in a sharp breath "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"So-you're-Wesker's-Defense? Ya-look-fifteen-girl." His green eyes moved over her small frame.

"Twenty-three today, actually and yes." she wracked her slender fingers through her hair.

"Happy-birthday-to-ya-than."

"Thank you." She said sweetly.

"Don't-mention-it."

"Alcatraz?" Gwendolyn asked calmly as she stepped down into the small motor boat. "Is it even functional? The facility has been closed down since 1963."

"Well-ya-did-your-homework-then." He responded over the sound of the motor. They started toward Alcatraz island and Gwen felt her stomach drop. "Where-else-would-ya-keep'a-freak-like-him?"

"This hardly seems humane." Gwen stated as she gripped the side of the boat with her left hand.

"He-ain't-human-Miss." Grears responded as he leaned back in a more relaxed manor. "There's-a-facility-under-the-prison-especially-for-guys-like-him."

"It sounds like I have a lot of work to do."

"How'd-ya-end-up-bein-a-lawyer-so-young?"

"I worked at it a great deal."

"Ya-ever-seen-Wesker?"

"Physically, no." she shook her head "I have read his file which contains an old picture."

"Poor-thing."

"Excuse me?"

" 's-gonna-toy-with-that-innocent-mind-of-yours."

"My 'innocent' mind is not easily toyed with." Gwen mused as the boat docked and she began to gather up her briefcase.

"You've-got-a-chance-than."

Gwendolyn slowly stepped out of the boat only to be greeted by another guard."Ms. Montgomery, I am Agent Nels. I will be escorting you for the remainder of your venture."

"Nice to meet you, Agent Nels." She smiled politely and shook his hand.

"She's-a-kid." Grears grumbled as he got ready to head back to shore.

"Miss Montgomery is very capable despite her age." Nels shot back with a smile as they made their way inside.

"You know of me then, Sir?"

"Your reputation does precede you. With a 79% success rate, I can see why this lunatic is willing to pay so much for your services, though there's really nothing you can do for him."

"That statistic is hardly fair, I've only dealt with fourteen cases and I will simply have to do my best as for always." her eyes wandered around the darkened hallways. Dim lighting poured into each corridor. Their footsteps were loud against the hard floor. "So people say this place is-"

"Haunted? you're not afraid of ghosts, are you, Miss Montgomery?"

"No. No." She smiled "Not at all."

"But you believe in ghosts?"

"Why not? Monsters most people couldn't even imagine in their darkest nightmares are appearing all around the world every day."

"An excellent point." Nels smiled as he punched a code into a dial pad on the wall. Steel doors opened up and the two stepped inside. "You chose to wear a pants suit?"

"Well yes, it's cold out by the bay and a skirt can give off a kind of fragile vibe...I don't need that while I'm down here." she mused glancing up at him as they made their way down a long stairwell into what seemed to be a large bunker. Cameras lined the corridors and face scanners marked every corner.

"Here is a key-card." he folded her fingers around the laminated plastic. "The door on the left at the end of the hall. There is a panic button under the table in case something happens."

"Thank you." She nodded as she started down the hallway.

There was a small chime as she slipped the keycard into the heavy doors slot and the door opened just enough for her to step inside before it closed automatically behind her. The room was small, there was a table, a chair and Wesker. The blond man was chained to a chair adjacent from the empty one meant for Gwen.

Vibrant red eyes met hers and they assessed each other as she sat down.

"Good morning, Miss Montgomery." his voice was like gravel. "It truly is a pleasure."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Wesker." She spoke softly as she opened up her briefcase and placed a large file on the table. "Your charges-"

"Aren't you just the little busy-body." a low growl slipped from the condescending smile that twisted his ivory lips.

"I suppose-"

"Are you not the young B.S.A.A Chris rescued just after my capture? I believe you were asleep in the arms of your partner, a Mr. Charlie Harris."

"Yes." her voice cracked ever so slightly.

"Did you not just lose your entire squad?" his red eyes searched her face.

"Yes."

"I must say that I can't tell."

"I prefer to keep my mourning and my work separated, that's all." Gwen smiled softly as she opened up the file. "Your charges consist of War crimes, Terrorism, Several counts of murder, Substance abuse, Human Experimentation,which is considered a crime against humanity and last but not least,Pseudocide."

"Oh dear." he seemed rather amused.

"My thoughts exactly." Gwen retorted as her fingers pushed her bangs away from her face.

"Have you any ideas?"

"Yes, I do." She nodded as her lidded eyes scanned over the file once more "I want to have you evaluated by a psychiatrist, for starters."

"The insanity plea?"

"Possibly, I can save you from the electric chair...that much I am certain of."

"Your firm has been shut down for a while, would you consider yourself...rusty, Miss Montgomery?"

"Honestly? No." the hazel eyed girl answered slowly "A great majority of this job is memorization, quick thinking and perfect situational awareness...I apply each of these qualities to my life every day."

"Yes, very good and as for your firm shutting down?"

"Not many people needed a defense attorney after the outbreak. We went bank rupt."

"Indeed, until I took the liberty of putting in a rather generous donation."

"I heard about that…" her round eyes met his "Why?"

"You're the best there is, so I'm told."

"Someone with more experience-"

"Do not sell yourself short." he snapped pointedly "You're a rather accomplished young lady, aren't you? Yale University at the age of fourteen, the youngest defense attorney in history, and to top it all off….a well known B.S.A.A sniper, is that right?" there was a certain intensity to his tone. Wesker's very being commanded presence.

"Yes...that is all...correct. I see you've done your homework." Gwen felt her breath hitch as she stared into his eyes.

Wesker smirked "I don't want just anyone defending me in court." The blond looked her over, her face struggled to hide emotions. Gwen bowed her head and bit her lower lip as if she were trying to hide. "Pick your head up and show some pride, little tin soldier." Wesker mused.

"Pride?"

"Yes." he sneered "A trait you lack, this facade of yours does not hide the fact that you are absolutely rattled with insecurities."

"There is no need to be rude, Mr. Wesker." Gwendolyn interjected defensively.

"Defend yourself." he barked as the vein in his right temple became more prominent. "How in god's name are you going to defend my name when you refuse to defend your own?" a certain detest coursed through his eyes and veins showed like cable cords in his arms.

"My insecurities are none of your damn business." Her hands slammed down on the steel table top as she shot up out of her chair. "With all due respect I am not a candidate for death row!" her knuckles turned to pure ivory "My insecurities are the last of your problems, sir, so if I were you…" a shaky breath slipped from her lips as her eyes met his "I'd shut my smart mouth and let me do my job, which might just save whatever is left of your damn life!" chin length brown hair cascaded around her face "Insecurities…" she mumbled, cracking a small smile "That is rich coming from a man who is so insecure about any and everything around him that he tried to destroy the world."

A flawless smile graced his lips "Good, I hope to see that fire of yours ignite in court."

Gwendolyn was polite, she believed in being polite but she never backed down when someone challenged her. If Mr. Albert Wesker attempted to bait her, she'd rise to the occasion. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she settled back down into her chair.

Slender fingers moved through her hair as she regained her composure "Now, about that psychiatric evaluation…" her voice trailed off.

"What about it?" he mused.

"I need to know everything. Understand that if you lie to me, Mr. Wesker, I can't help you in court."

"Shall I tell you a sob story, Miss Montgomery?" he arched a blond brow.

"All I need is the truth, what happened to you that made you want to burn this world to the ground?" her eyes searched his for an answer.

"Stop right there." he spat as something slipped through his vibrant irises. Offense? "I have no intention of destroying the world, on the contrary, Miss Montgomery, I am trying to save it." another low growl.

"How will destroying humanity save the world?"

He chuckled "Have you seen what humans have been doing to this world as of late?"

"No species is perfect." Gwen's voice was hushed.

"Tell me, Miss montgomery, have you read Mark Twain's, 'The lowest animal' ?" Wesker asked as he tapped his fingers on the table top.

"The 1896 satire, yes, I have." She nodded in response.

"You are indeed a very smart girl, What were your thoughts on it?"

Gwen opened her mouth only to be cut off "Think about it for a moment, if I wanted a by the book summary, I would have asked for one." his gaze was intense.

The brunette leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes a moment, trying to form her response inside her head. "I found it to be thought provoking. Small details, like the way even snakes, thought to be so aggressive and benevolent, take only what they need no matter how much is placed in front of them. Whereas humans will take everything, regardless of how much they need it. The piece pulled apart some of humanity's lowest points, greed, racism,and discrimination and reminded the reader that no other animal lives this way. Twain used satire to make a very controversial point."

"Yes, and his point was?"

"Man is the lowest animal."

"Indeed." he smirked.

"I don't believe Twain meant for that piece to be taken seriously, infact it's been said that he found it rather hilarious."

"Man kind is lying, manipulative and self-destructive, there is nothing hilarious about the truth, Miss montgomery." Wesker retorted.

"Would you consider yourself to be any of the above?" Gwendolyn pushed.

"Oh no, little tin soldier….I am a man of my word...I have a deep appreciation for individual purpose and I consider myself to be a resourceful being, liar...manipulator…never."

"You value individual purpose...what about all of the humans you have killed? Everyone has a purpose-"

"No." he growled "Not everyone has a purpose. Your grade school teachers give you that spuel to make you feel good about your bleak futures."

"Don't you feel any sympathy for anyone?"

"Sympathy? That emotion was lost to me years ago."

"Tell me what happened…"

"Quid pro quo." he snickered.

"Fair enough." she nodded slowly.

"I have always been exceptional." he began to explain the project involving the Wesker children. Gwen listened attentively as Albert talked about how he'd been conditioned to act like a cog in a machine, how emotions were a thing of the past and only logic prevailed.

"I understand."

"How is it that you understand, Miss Montgomery?" Wesker raised a thin eyebrow.

"For as long as I can remember, my father forced harsh training exercises down my throat. There were a number of times where….I almost died." her eyes lidded.

"What is it he was training you for?"

"He was paranoid...he always said the world would end….I guess he just didn't want me to be a victim."

"Is he alive?"

"No, he died when I was fourteen…"

"Yes, and what happened to him?"

"He was killed by what, at the time, was known as an unidentifiable animal…but now...it's known to anyone on this case…..that they were animals you helped to bioengineer."

"So I am responsible for the death of your daddy." he deadpanned "Do you hate me?"

"No…" her voice was soft "I want to thank you."

"So full of surprises, little tin soldier."

"Before I go, you should know that a great deal of people will be speaking against you, is there anyone left alive to speak on your behalf?"

"Perhaps. Have you any idea, when our first court date is?"

"Next week, on the 12th. I will be building a defense in that time."

"Seems a bit rushed in my opinion."

"These people really want to see you in that chair, to be honest with you." Gwen said looking into his eyes.

"How very comforting."

"Just behave Mr. Wesker, and I just might save your life."

000

A small whine slipped from her lips as Gwendolyn stumbled into her hotel room. The way he feet ached and her head hurt, all she wanted was to be home, in her own bed but work was work. Not to mention how empty the apartment had felt since Deborah went missing three years ago. Of course Gwen had already dealt with those emotions but losing her entire team with the exception of her partner Charles had brought every painful form of longing back to the surface.

She could still remember every last minuet of the plane going down. The six of them, Herself, Charles, Captain Mckenzie, Oswald, Breslin and Liceton had gone to help Chris, Sheva and Josh in the field. They swept a few areas with no luck before boarding the plane. Once in the air, Gwen noticed something was wrong with Liceton, he'd been infected. A fight broke out...and the plane crashed. Only she and Charles were left alive. After that all the two had to do was stay alive until Chris, Sheva, Josh and Jill circled back in a helicopter for them. That was also they day they detained Wesker.

A warm tear slipped down Gwen's cheek as her phone went off. She swiped it from her breast pocket and answered "Hello, this is Gwend-"

"Easy birthday-girl, it's Charlie." Charles mused, she could hear a t.v. in the background.

"Birthday girl?" she questioned.

"Did you seriously forget? It's October 4th, Bea, you're twenty-three." 'Bea' as in 'B' as in 'Bambi', a nickname given to her by Liceton that just caught on with the rest of Charlie team.

"Oh my gosh." She mumbled letting her head fall back as she sat down on the ledge of the bed. "I completely forgot...I was busy and-"

"No need, I know you're the single busiest girl in the world. How ya' holdin' up?"

"Fine until I'm by myself."

"I will be in San Francisco with you next week."

"Why is that?" Gwen asked as she moved to the computer desk and began to boot up her laptop.

"With so many B.S.A.A on the stand and unable to keep weapons, they want Charlie team there for security purposes."

"Oh, I see." Gwen mumbled "Have you met any of the new guys yet?"

"Yeah, they're eager and seem nice enough."

"They aren't-"

"No, they will never be the group we fought alongside for five years."

"I know…"

"So what did you think of Wesker?"

"He's something else."

"Tell me about it. I know you were fast asleep when Chris came back with the chopper but Wesker was there too, he was bound and sedated but he was there...and I swear to god the whole time you were asleep on my chest, he stared at you."

"He was drugged, like you said." Gwendolyn quipped as she opened up a word document.

"Still a grade A creep."

"He is a little eccentric."

"You're cute, Bea." Charlie cackled.

"I didn't do anything."

"It's just you bein' you."

"Funny, this case is-"

"Hopeless, so just relax and get paid."

"I don't work that way. I said I'd save his life and I will." she mused as she placed

the phone between her ear and shoulder and began typing out her case. Gwen always prefered to have notes just for her.

 ** _Albert Wesker_**

 ** _Age- 48_**

 ** _Subject was emotionally abused as a child. Due to this abuse subject lacks the ability to feel basic human emotion._**

"What are you thinking so far, Bea?"

"That I have less than a week to get him evaluated by a shrink."

"They're really trying to make this hard for ya, aren't they?"

"Mhm, seems that way."

"Don't get too involved, Gwen."

"Honestly, Charles that's criminal defense 101." She smiled a small smile.

"I just remember hearing that he may have had something to do with your dad's death."

"And?"

"And that is the biggest favor anyone has ever done you."

"I've got to go, Charlie, say hi to Sherry for me, I'll see you next week."

"Night, happy birthday Gwen."

Hours later, after calling every psychiatrist listed within a fifty-mile radius and typing up every argument she could think up, Gwendolyn was passed out at the computer desk, fingers rested delicately on the keys of her laptop. Her father had taught her to work hard, but never when to stop.


	3. Better than you know yourself

**Chapter Two** -Better than you know yourself

 **Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Los Angeles, CA**

 **7:00 am**

 **October 9th 2009**

Hours. Long grueling hours spent sitting right beside Wesker as he was being evaluated by a shrink for the fifth time. Gwendolyn had managed to keep a straight face despite wanting to shoot herself in the face with a sawed off shot gun. Five therapists and each said something different and could hardly give a definitive answer. Two said he was crazy, Two said he was completely sane and this one seemed to be on the fence when it came to the subject.

He was playing with them. They were supposed to be professionals and Albert Wesker managed to get inside the head of each trained psychiatrist and twist their minds until they were answering his questions. To Gwen, it was amazing. She'd never seen anything like it. The fifth doctor, Dr. Kyle Enders, finally left the room. He said he'd have a report ready in the next day or so. Gwen sighed and folded her hands on the table top, picking at her ceuticals. "I would think, you would understand the importance of consistency when it comes to a psychiatric evaluation, Mr. Wesker."

"Are you implying that I wasn't on my best behavior?" He mused. "I sat here and answered all of their dull questions."

"You were playing with them." Her hazel eyes met his red ones.

"Am I to understand that you're upset with me, Miss Montgomery?" Wesker asked raising a blond eyebrow.

"I am trying to build a defense for you and you aren't cooperating with me, Mr. Wesker. I'm frustrated with you."

"You don't need them." he smirked, staring into her round eyes "You're intelligent, Miss Montgomery, You could build a defense on the spot, if you wanted to do so. As for those so called professionals, I'd be more interested to hear your evaluation of my mental state."

"A court wouldn't be interested in my opinion of your mental state, Mr. Wesker." she said as her lips pressed into a hard line.

"But I would."

" I-"

"Come now, Miss Montgomery, indulge me."

"There's no time for that right now, I have far too much to do regarding your case."

"You never slow down, do you?" he asked, a slow smirk contorted his perfectly shaped mouth.

"No, and for that reason I have been successful in my life."

"Think about it, maybe you will see things my way." He sat up straight. "When we last spoke, in my cell, beneath Alcatraz, I mentioned what an accomplished young girl you are. Remember?"

"Yes, I do." She crossed her arms and looked him over "I'm not sure I understand what this has to do with-"

"Keep listening and you will." He said in a tone that almost sounded like a promise. "All of your accomplishments...everything you've fought so hard far. Those late nights you pulled during your school years, the time you wasted on your firm, the blood sweat and tears you've poured into the B.S.A.A, what does it mean?" the red eyed man asked.

"It means-"

"Nothing. Despite everything you've done, everything you've accomplished, you are still just a member of the B.S.A.A, and if I remember correctly, you're a member of the back up team. Charlie. You are only called in to clean up the valued team's messes. All of the talent you posses and this world has shut down your firm, devalued your degrees and made you a slave to presumptuous teams like Alpha and Bravo."

Gwen felt her face heating up, she felt an anger beginning to burn through her system. "I don't appreciate you-"

"I'm right, this world takes valuable, talented individuals such as you and myself and makes an attempt to bring them down to the level of the common people. They call that, contributing to the bigger picture, Miss Montgomery. When we refuse to lower ourselves to that disgusting level, they call us crazy. They try to lock us up in their mental wards and prisons. Man kind dislikes a great many things, change is the hardest thing for the species to adapt to, and so they fear it. They try to avoid it at all costs even when it's what they need." he was passionate, the way his jaw was locked caused his voice to come out in a territorial growl and for a sick moment, Gwen found herself understanding everything he was saying.

That moment of understanding showed in her eyes and Wesker caught it before even Gwen, and like a cougar he pounced. "In my world, you wouldn't go to waste as you are now. You'd be valued, respected and understood. I wouldn't call that look in your eyes 'damage', I'd call it a battle scar. In my world you'd contribute to the world, and you'd matter, do you understand what I am saying to you, little tin soldier? There's no reason to be ashamed of the single leg you stand on. Do not simply dismiss it, Miss Montgomery, wear it with pride. A mark of your own survival. Identify by it."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Her voice was stiff but so was the rest of her body.

He smirked "I remember your father, girl. I know the kindness I did you when my creature slaughtered him...I know the relief you felt when they pulled that sheet back and you identified his remains...never lie to me about your past. I understand more about that look in your eye than even you, but...if you'll let me, I can tease things out of you, you never knew were there."

Gwen felt her breath hitch, a cramp rolled through her stomach and a knot formed in her throat but her face didn't really change. She'd always had a great poker face. Or so she'd been told. Though this man seemed to read her hidden scars like an open book. A book that never had a cover to begin with, each page with a set of spark notes to explain the harder parts. Part of her was scared, no one had ever read her so easily before. She'd been told her was dangerous, but she never thought she'd even come close to feeling the way she did in that moment.

In her career she'd dealt with a monstrous brand on men, and though she was able to defend each one with a straight face and even get a few of them off scott-free, never once did she actually understand their murderous logic, even if she found it in herself to understand what drove them to commit their crimes. In this moment, she found herself understanding this mad man's logic. Doesn't that make her just a little bit mad too?

 **000**

Charlie's strong arms wrapped around Gwen's waist and her feet came off the ground just the littlest bit. "Glad you could make it."

"Not like I had much of a choice, Bea." he mumbled into her hair. She could feel his chin stubble against her exposed forehead and it forced her to smile. Ever since they'd become partners five years ago, Charlie had been her best friend. Her battle buddy, her shoulder to lean on and her home.

Charles Harris was a lean man, and he wasn't much taller than Gwendolyn who stood at a full five ft two. His ears were a bit odd, slightly pointed toward the top and his sharp toothed smile made him look kind of like an elf, which wasn't exactly a stab at his appearance. He was a handsome elf. Of every man in the B.S.A.A, Charles kept his hair the longest, but because the dress code prohibited hair that touched the collar of his uniform shirt, he only kept it long on top of his head. A tuft of brown wavy hair that was usually a mess on top of his head. "So you go to trial in two days, how does that feel?"

"Just a little nerve wracking." She offered him a small smile.

"You'll do fine, and win or lose, you get paid...and he reopened your firm for this...you-"

"I'm staying in the B.S.A.A."

"Really, you're serious?"

She nodded, her dark hair bounced around her pale face. "My firm will close down again sooner or later. It closed down the first time because it had no use in this new world. It's hard to press charges on a B.O.W." her tone wasn't sarcastic. Not one little bit. Charles smiled because only Gwen could make that statement and keep a straight face. "I belong in the B.S.A.A." She said finally.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." He draped an arm around her shoulders "Let's grab dinner. Tell me all about what you've been up to."

"I legally can't." She laughed softly.

"Normally sure, but everyone knows what he did so it's not like you're breaking 'client attorney privilege' or anything like that."

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Is something the matter, Bea?"

"Just something he said."

"Wesker?" Charles questioned as they climbed into his rental car.

"Yes. Who else do you think I'm socializing with out here?"

"That may very well be the most terrifying thing you have ever said." his brow furrowed as he jammed the key in the ignition in one fluid motion.

Normally, Gwen didn't mind being in the car, but sometimes she'd get a little car sick. Usually it only happened when she'd been in the car for a long period of time and because it's California and Friday during lunch time, they're stuck in an obscene traffic jam. According to the radio, a truck had turned over on a car somewhere up ahead.

"Little tin solider?" Charles mused "It's a fairy tale. The steadfast tin solider." They were able to move the car an entire foot, amazing. "Hans Christian Anderson, I believe."

"A children's tale?" Gwen asked as she continuously played with the radio to distract from the pain in her stomach.

"Who would of thought him to be that type?" Charles chuckled bitterly.

"How does it go?"

"The story?

"yes."

"It's pretty simple, actually."

 **000**

Picture, if you can...a set of twenty-five toy soldiers all cast from one tin spoon. They are meant to be a gift for a young boy. They are all very simple, all the same with the exception of one. The very last tin soldier stands on one leg because there wasn't quite enough tin left to make him whole.

On a far off shelf, the one legged tin soldier sets his eyes on a beautiful ballerina made of paper. The ballerina is posed on one leg and the tin soldier falls in love.

A goblin among the toys in the form of a Jack-in-the-box is jealous and warns the soldier to take his eyes off the ballerina, but the soldier ignores him. The next day, the tin soldier is knocked from the window sill into the street, thus being separated from the paper ballerina.

Alone in the street, unsure of what to do, the soldier waits. Two boys find him and decide to play. They send him sailing into a gutter in a paper boat. The boat makes it's way into a storm drain, where a rat demands the soldier pay a toll. The boat is then washed into a canal, where the soldier is swallowed by an average sized fish.

The fish is caught and cut open, the tin soldier finds himself once again on the table top, back where he started, lying before the beautiful ballerina. A fire glowing in the hearth just to his right cracks and dances. Inexplicably, the young boy throws the tin soldier into the crackling fire. A wind blows the ballerina into the fire with him; she is consumed at once. The tin soldier burns until he finally melts into the shape of a heart.

 **000**

"I still don't understand." Gwen admitted quietly as she forked her ravioli. They'd decided on Olive garden.

"The soldier loved the ballerina because he was able to identify with her due to her standing on one leg the same way he did."

"And?"

"And if Wesker is referring to you as 'little tin soldier', he's either saying you haven't got a leg to stand on or that he can identify with you in some freakish way."

"That would make him the paper ballerina?" She raised an eyebrow as she chewed her food.

"Well think about it this way, The soldier only thought the ballerina stood on one leg, she has two legs but her pose deceived him. Come the end of the story, both burned but only the soldier suffered...I think he's threatening you, Bea."

"I doubt it's that in depth. He's probably just trying to tease me."

"Let's hope." Charles sighed.


End file.
